An abbreviation for "Video Home System", a trademark for the « inch consumer video tape format developed by Matsushita and JVC and now widely used for consumer videotape recorders.

A VCR format introduced by JVC in 1976 to compete with Sony’s Beta format. VHS subsequently become the standard for home and industry, and Beta became obsolete. S-VHS (Super VHS) is a subsequent format that improves resolution.

Video Home System

Half-inch magnetic videotape cartridge format developed for home use with the ability to record and playback analog video and audio signals. VHS has become a popular format and the de facto standard for home movie distribution and reproduction mainly due to its pervasive presence and recordability. HS stores signals as an analog format on a magnetic tape using technology similar to that of audiocassettes. The tapes are played back and recorded on using VHS video cassette recorders (VHS VCRs). VHS tapes store up to around two hours of video typically, although some VCRs are able to record to them at a slower speed allowing up to six or even eight hours of recording per tape. he VHS format outputs a little over 200 lines of horizontal resolution. This compares to laserdisc that outputs just over 400 lines and DVDs that output over 500 lines of horizontal resolution. Technically and perceptually, VHS is a vastly inferior format compared to most other formats including laserdisc, DVD, S-VHS, Hi-8 and others. VHS is a poor format for critical viewing of movies or other video material. However, VHS tapes are easily found across the country and around the world everywhere from movie rental stores to grocery stores making then easily accessible. HS does not support digital video or digital sound and cannot carry Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound formats. VHS, however, is a widely used technology that enables the majority of the public to enjoy movies and other programming at home and record programming for later viewing making it a widely used and effective though not superior format.